When it comes to building a winning team, are you more of a Roberto Mancini than an Arsene Wenger? Do you believe in spending heavily to get the best players money can buy or do you nurture young talent in the knowledge that your investment will ultimately pay off?
It’s a question more and more businesses are asking themselves as they consider their next moves to exit the recession on top.
“In my experience, companies are doing both,” said specialist headhunter Doug Mackay, Managing Director of Collingwood Search & Selection Ltd.
“However, we have recruited a number of top notch sales people recently as companies look to take immediate advantage of the limited business opportunities that currently exist. They’re looking for instant results.
“Growing your own talent is great but it takes time and long term investment which many businesses don’t have just now.”
This may go some way to explaining reports this month of a ‘lost generation’ of young people who are finding it increasingly difficult to secure jobs because firms are simply not employing them.
A survey by the Prince’s Trust warns the recession is likely to scar the lives of almost a million people currently under 25 and out of work, including many graduates.
Martina Milburn, chief executive of The Prince's Trust said: Young people bore the brunt of the recession last year, with one in five 16-to-24-year-olds out of work today. The result is a generation of undiscovered skills and talents.
“We must invest in these young people, re-building their self-esteem, to ensure that today's unemployed do not become tomorrow's unemployable.
It’s a philosophy that Arsenal’s boss Arsene Wenger, who consistently defends his young squad against doubters, may well endorse.
Everybody tells me to buy strikers but nobody has scored more goals than us in the league, Wenger said recently. With the confidence high, everyone can score goals.
It’s a difficult recruiting dilemma made worse by the current economic climate and a downturn in confidence but in making key decisions, employers are advised to focus on the most important point.
“Whether fresh faced or more experienced, the candidate should always meet the exact criteria,” said Doug.
“This ensures candidates have the skills to excel, will fit culturally and increases the likelihood of their success in the first year by 88%.
“Whether the prize is a league trophy or a multi-million pound contract, teams succeed when the players are well matched.”
As Carlo Ancelotti observed on arrival at Chelsea, currently top of the league: “I found a very good team with quality and a very good mental attitude to the job. Teamwork is the most important thing to win.”
Our specialist headhunters have a track record in picking the best players. Please call one of our consultants on 01829 732374 or click here to find out more about us.
